Egg filtration process



Aug.5, 1941. F. B. LOMAX EGG FILTRATION PROCESS.

Filed May 4, 1958 I 3 p 7/// A. V////// I. wluli: dV/M WPA W 06 S 3 V UP FRANK B. LOMAX particles from the liquid material.

Patented Aug. 5, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EGG FILTRATION rnooass Frank B. Lomax, Chicago, Ill. Application May 4, 1938, s m No. 205,945

1 clai ((199- 113) This invention relates to the treatment of liquid-egg material for the removal of shell fra ments, lumps, meat balls, chalaza and the like impurities.

More particularly the invention relates to a process of filtering liquid egg material under'pos itive pressure and provides for the rapid supply-' ing of egg material to a pressure chamber so i as to increase the capacity of apparatus for carrying out the process.

It has heretofore been proposed to supply air or gas under pressure above a pond of liquid egg material for forcing the egg material through a relatively fine mesh filterscreen. Such practice has required considerable time between filtering .operations to release the gas pressure, clean outthe filter screen, introduce a new batch of egg material; seal the pressure chamber and build up the pressure in the chainber.

The present process now greatly lessens the time for recharging the pressure vessel andincreases the capacity of the fine mesh filter member.

According to this invention, broken egg material is dumped into an open topped tank above a perforated plate extending transversely across ,the tank in spaced relation from the top thereof.

A pond of egg material isthus formed on the perforated plate. .This pond may be agitated to uniformly mix the material by'an agitator acting thereon beneath the surface of the pond. The foraminations in the plate are of a comparatively large size so as to remove only the larger sized shell fragments, lumps, meat balls, and chalaza The liquid -egg material is allowed to drain through the perforated plate to a lower level in the tank whereit is collected on a downwardly sloping partition having an opening therethrough that is closed by a plunger or valve. The space between the partition and the perforated plate is vented to the atmosphere or can be subjected tosuction for speeding up the drainage through the perforated plate.

fffThe opening in the partition communicates With a pressure chamber in the tank having a fine mesh filter screen extending transversely across the bottom thereof.

The tank has a rounded bottom receiving a drain line.

Air or other gas is supplied under pressure to the topof the pressure chamber for positively forcing the pre-treated egg material through the fine mesh filter screen. This screen removes the through the perforated plate.

In' carrying out the process, therefore, a batch of treated egg materials is continuously accumuthe pressure chamber for intermit- Since the larger from the material lated above sized impurities are removed introduced into the pressure chamber, the work to be accomplished by the fine mesh filter screen is materially lessened. As a result, the screen can be used over prolonged periods of time without becoming too clogged for efiicient operation.

It is, then, an object of this invention to provide a process for filtering egg material under positive pressures, and to decrease the amount of time heretofore necessary to reload the pressure apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to pretreat liquid egg material for purities therefrom and to then remove the finer impurities by pressure filtration.

Another object of the invention is to treat liquid egg material by drainage through large size holes for removing only the larger sized impurities in the material and to then collect of the pretreated material for flowing into a pressure filtration chamber.

Another object of the invention is to continu:

ously prepare liquid egg material for intermittent feeding into a batch filter. A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for removing large sized impurities from liquid egg material, for collecting the thus treated material and for flowing this materlal into. a pressure compartment includinga fine mesh filter screen therein.

Other and further objects of the invention will become .apparent from the following detailed description of the annexed sheet of drawings which discloses a preferred apparatus for carrying out the process and also illustrates the type of impurities removed by the various filters of the apparatus.

On the drawing: Figure l is a vertical cross-sectional view, with parts shown in elevation, of an apparatus for carrying out the process of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of Figure l and i1- lustrating the filtering operation through the lustrating the filtering operation through the fine mesh screen.

removing large size ima batch formed through the I sloping wall 2| and the plate shafts 31 and 39.

As shown on the drawing:

In Figure I the reference numeral i8 designates a tank having a detachable rounded bottom The bottom H can be secured to the tank |8 by means of eye bolts I2. For the purpose of securing the bottom H to the tank iii, the bottom is provided with an outturned annular flange l3 carrying ears or lugs at spaced intervals therebeneath for pivotally supporting the eye bolts l2.

The bottom of the tank I8 has an outturned annular flange |5 provided with spaced slots around its periphery for receiving the shanks of the eye bolts therethrough. Nuts l8 threaded on the bolts 2 draw the flanges l3 and I5 together for holding the bottom H in position.

A fine mesh filter screen |1 extends transversely across the bottom of the tank i8 and its outer periphery is clamped between the flanges l3 and I5. If desired a gasket may be inserted between the flanges for preventing leakage.

The rounded bottom II has a drain line l8 communicating with the lowermost portion thereof for removing material filtered through the screen ii.

A partition member 19 is mounted in the tank I 8 in spaced relation above the filter screen l1 to define a pressure chamber 28 in the tank.

The partition member l9 has a downwardly sloping top wall 2| converging to an opening 22 member in the center of the tank.

A spider 23 is secured in the tank above the top wall 2| of the partition member l8 and has a boss portion 24 at the center of the tank provided with a vertically threaded bore therethrough for receiving in threaded relation therewith a vertical shaft 25 terminating above the top of the tank and having an operating wheel 26 secured to the top end thereof. -'I'he bottom of the shaft 25 carries a plunger or valve member 21 adapted to seat on the sloping top wall 2| of the partition member I!) for sealing the opening 22.

A rotation of the shaft 25 by operation of the hand wheel 28 carries the plunger 21 toward or away from its seat on the opening or closing the opening 22.

A perforated plate 28 is mounted on a flanged ring 28 in the tank across the tank above the spider 23. 28 has a large. central opening 38 ing the shaft 25 therethrough.

The plate 28 is provided with relatively large sized perforations 3| extending therethrough.

A chamber 33 is thus provided between the 28. This chamber is vented to the atmosphere by means of a'pipe 34 opening downwardly in the chamber to prevent drainage of egg material therethrough. If desired, the pipe 34 can be connected with a suction pump to evacuate the chamber 33.

The plate 28 is spaced from the top of the tank 8 so as to form an open topped chamber 35.

An agitator or propeller 38 is mounted in the The plate snugly receivchamber 35 immediately above the plate 28 on a shaft 31 extending through the side wall of the tank It.

A second agitator or propeller in the chamber 28 of the tank above the filter screen H on a shaft 39 extending through the side wall of the tank.

The shafts 31 and 33 have pulleys 48 secured to A belt 4| is trained around the pulleys 48 for operatively connecting the The shaft 38 also has a second M to extend transverselywall member 2| for 38 is mounted is in the position pulley 42 secured thereon for receiving a belt 43 therearound driven by a motor 44. The motor 44 thus drives both of the agitators 38 and 38.

The chamber 28 is subjected to gas pressure from a pressure tank 45 communicating with the chamber 28 through a pipe 46 entering the top of the chamber. The'pipe 48 has a valve 41 therein.

As shown, the pressure tank 45 has an air compressor 48 mounted thereondriven by a motor 49. It should be understood, however, that the tank can house inert gases other than air for building up the pressure in the chamber 28. Gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen are suitable.

A vent-58 having a valve 5| therein communicates with the top of the chamber 28 for releasing the pressure in the chamber.

In carrying out the process of the invention, broken egg material such as it comes from the breaking tables including shell fragments, lumps, meat balls, large size chalaza particles and the like is dumped into the chamber 35 of the tank N to form a pond on the plate 28 as shown in Figure 2. The pond 55 can be agitated from beneath the surface thereof by the propeller 38 for uniformly stirring the egg material into a homogeneous mass.

The pond 58 contains shell fragments 56, lumps 51, chalaza strings 58 and the desired liquid egg meats 59.

Since the chamber 33 beneath the plate 28is vented to the atmosphere or is subjected to suethe desired egg material 58 can drain through the large sized perforations 3| of the plate 28. These perforations also permit the'passage of some solid impurities so that only the larger size material 58, 51 and 58 is retained on the plate.

' The material draining through the plate 28 is collected in the chamber 33 when the plunger 21 shown in Figure 1.

When the plunger 21 is raised off of its seat on the wall 2| the collected egg material in the chamber 33 flows into the chamber 28 and is collected on top of the fine mesh screen "at the bottom of this chamber. The plunger 21is then reseated to close the opening 22, the valve 8| in the vent 58 is closed and the valve 41 in the pipe 48 is opened to build up gas pressure in the chamber 28 above the pond of egg material collected on the filter |1. This pond is shown at 68 in Figure 3 and comprises the smaller size shell fragments 6|, lumps 82 and chalaza particles 83 that have passed through the plate 28v together with the desired liquid egg meats 84.

The agitator 38 can be operated to further mix the liquid egg material in the pond 88. The filter screen |1 retains the impurities 8|, 82 and 8-3 thereon but allows the passage of the desired liquid egg meats 84 therethrough. As shown in Figure 3, the chalaza string 83 may retain some bottom II for drainage through the drain line 8 more rapidthan heretofore known processes involving batch filtration of egg material under superatmospheric pressures. I

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

The method of filtering liquid egg material which comprises disposing a given batch of the material in a given area open to atmosphere, forcing the material in said "area downwardly through a filtering medium, agitating the material above said filtering medium, intermittently feeding the material from said area directly into an adjoining area, closing said adjoining area to' atmospheric pressure, and forcing, by gas under pressure introduced in said adjoining area, the material therein through a second filtering medium.

' FRANK B. LOMAX. 

